English - Chapter 7 - Al-Araf

Alif, Laam, Miim, Saad

A book revealed to you, so let your heart be oppressed no more by any difficulty from it, and with it, advise and teach

Follow the revelation given to you from your Guardian Evolver, and do not follow as friends or protectors others before Him. But little is it that you remember

How many towns have We caused to perish? Our punishment took them all of a sudden by night, or while they slept during their afternoon rest

When Our punishment took them, no cry did they utter but this, “Indeed we did wrong.”

Then will we question those to whom Our message was sent and those by whom We sent it

And indeed, We will retell their whole story with certainty, for We were never absent

The balance that day will be true. Those whose scale will be heavy will flourish

Those whose scale will be light, their souls will be in perdition, because they treated Our signs wrongfully

It is We Who have placed you with authority on earth, and provided you with means for the fulfillment of your life. Little is the thanks that you give

It is We Who created you and gave you shape, then We asked the angels to bow down to Adam, and they bowed down, but not Lucifer. He refused to be of those who bowed down

God said, “What prevented you from bowing down when I asked you to?” He said, “I am better than he is. You created me from fire and him from mud.”

God said, “Get down from this. It is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out. For you are most arrogant.”

He said, “Give me respite until the day they are raised up.”

God said, “Be among those who have respite.”

He said, “Because you have thrown me out of the way, I will lie in wait for them on your straight way

“Then I will assault them from in front and behind them, from their right and their left, nor will You find in most of them any gratitude.”

God said, “Get out from here, disgraced and expelled. If any of them follow you, hell will I fill with you all

“O Adam, dwell you and your wife in the garden, and enjoy it as you wish, but approach not this tree or you will run into harm and transgression.”

Then Satan began to whisper suggestions to them, bringing openly before their minds all their shame which was hidden from them. He said, “Your Lord only made forbidden to you this tree, so that you will not become angels, or such beings that live forever.”

And he swore to them both, that he was their sincere adviser

So by deceit, he brought about their fall. When they tasted from the tree, their shame became manifest to them, and they began to sew together the leaves of the garden over their bodies, and their Lord called to them, “Did I not forbid you that tree, and tell you that Satan was a sworn enemy to you?”

They said, “Our Lord, We have wronged our own souls. If you do not forgive us and do not bestow upon us Your mercy, we will certainly be lost.”

God said, “Get down, with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of livelihood for a time.”

He said, “There you will live, and there you will die, but from it will you be taken out.”

O children of Adam, We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you, but the raiment of righteousness, that is best. Such are among the signs of God, that they might receive advice

O you children of Adam, let not Satan seduce you in the same manner as he seduced your parents out of the garden, stripping them of their raiment, to expose their shame, for he and his party watch you from places where you cannot see them. We made the devils friends to those without faith

When they do anything that is shameful they say, “We found our fathers doing so, and God asked us to do this.” Say, “No, God never asks what is shameful. Do you say things about God that you do not know?”

Say, “My Lord has commanded justice, and that you submit your whole selves to Him at every time and place of prayer, and call upon Him, making your devotion to Him sincere. As He created you in the beginning, so will you be again.”

Some He has guided, others have deserved the loss of their way, in that they took the devils, in preference to God, for their friends and protectors, and think that they receive guidance

O children of Adam, take your zeenah with you to every place of prayer. Eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for God does not love wasters

Say, “Who has forbidden the beautiful gifts of God which He has produced for His servants, and the things clean and pure for sustenance?” Say, “They are in the life of the present for those who believe, and exclusively for them on the Day of Accountability.” Thus We explain the signs in detail for those who understand

Say, “The things that my Lord has indeed made forbidden are shameful deeds whether open or secret, deeds and ideas against truth and reason, assigning partners to God for which He has revealed no authority, and saying things about God which you do not know.”

To every people is a term appointed. When their term is reached not an hour can they delay or advance it

O you children of Adam, there comes to you messengers from among you, rehearsing My signs to you, those who are righteous and mend their lives, on them will be no fear, nor shall they grieve

But those who reject Our signs and treat them with arrogance, they are companions of the fire, and will dwell in there forever

Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against God, or rejects His signs? For them, their appointed portion must reach them from the Book. Until when our messengers arrive and take their souls and they say, “Where are the things that you used to invoke besides God?” They will reply, “They have left us lost,” and they will bear witness against themselves, because they rejected it

He will say, “Join the company of the peoples who passed away before you, enter into the fire, humans and jinn.” Every time a new people enter, it curses its sister people, until they follow each other, all into the fire. Says the last about the first, “Our Lord, these are the ones who misled us, so give them a double punishment in the fire.” He will say, “Doubled for all.” But this you do not understand

Then the first will say to the last, “See, you have no advantage over us, so taste the penalty for all that you did.”

To those who reject Our signs and treat them with arrogance, no opening will there be of the gates of heaven, nor will they enter the garden, until the camel can pass through the eye of the needle. Such is Our reward for those in sin

For them there is hell, as a bed, and folds and folds of covering above. Such is Our punishment for those who do wrong

So believe and work righteousness, for no burden do We place on any soul, except that which she can bear. They will be companions of the garden, to dwell therein forever

And We will remove from their hearts, any hatred. Beneath them will be rivers flowing and they will say, “Praise God, who has guided us to this. Never would we have found guidance, had it not been for the guidance of God, indeed it was the truth that the messengers of our Lord brought to us.” And they will hear the call, “Behold, the garden before you. You have been made its inheritors, because of your deeds.”

The companions of the garden will call out to the companions of the fire, “We have indeed found the promise of our Lord to us, true. Have you also found your Lord’s promise true?” They will say, “Yes.” But a caller will proclaim between them, “The curse of God is on the wrongdoers

“Those who hinder others from the path of God, and seek in it something crooked, they were those who denied the hereafter.”

Between them will be a veil, and above will be those who would know everyone by their marks. They will call out to the companions of the garden, “Peace be upon you.” They would not have entered, but they will have an assurance of it

When their eyes will be turned towards the companions of the fire, they will say, “Our Lord, send us not to the company of the wrongdoers.”

Those above will call to those whom they will know from their marks saying, “Of what profit to you were your possessions, and those things about which you were arrogant

“Behold, are these not those whom you swore that God, even with His mercy, would never bless? Enter the garden, no fear will be on you, nor will you grieve.”

The companions of the fire will call to the companions of the garden, “Pour down to us water or anything that God provides for your sustenance.” They will say, “Both these things have God forbidden to those who rejected Him.”

“Those who took their religion to be mere entertainment and play, and were deceived by the life of the world.” That day We will forget them as they forgot the meeting of this day of theirs, and because they were accustomed to rejecting Our signs

For We had certainly sent to them a book of knowledge which We explained in detail, a guide, and a mercy to all who believe

Do they just wait for the final fulfillment of the event? On the day the event is finally fulfilled, those who disregarded it before will say, “The messengers of our Lord indeed brought truth. Have we no intercessors now to intercede on our behalf? Or can we be sent back? Then we would behave differently from our behavior in the past.” In fact, they will have lost their souls, and the things they invented will leave them lost

Your Guardian Evolver is God, He Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and is firmly established on the throne. He draws the night over the day, each seeking the other in rapid succession. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars, all governed by laws under His command. Is it not His to create and to govern? Blessed is God, the Lord of all the worlds

Call on your Guardian Evolver with humility and in private, and God does not love those who trespass beyond bounds

Create no chaos on the earth, after it has been set in order, but call on Him with awe and longing, for the mercy of God is near those who do right

It is He Who sends the winds like heralds of good news, going before His mercy. When they have carried the heavy-laden clouds, We drive them to a dead land, make rain to descend, and produce there every kind of harvest. Thus will We raise the dead, so that you may remember

From the land that is clean and good, by the will of its Guardian Evolver, springs up produce after its kind, but from the land that is corrupt, springs up nothing but that which is corrupt. We explain the signs by various signs to those who are grateful

We sent Noah to his people. He said, “O my people, worship God, you have no other god but Him. I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful day

The leaders of his people said, “We see that you are obviously in error.”

He said, “O my people, I am not in error. In fact, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the worlds

“I fulfill towards you the duties of my Lord’s mission. Sincere is my advice to you, and I learned from God, something that you know not

“Do you wonder how there has come to you a message from your Lord, through a person of your own people, to warn you, so that you may be conscious of God, and happily receive His mercy?”

But they rejected him, and We delivered him and those with him, in the Ark. But We overwhelmed in the flood those who rejected Our signs. They were indeed a blind people

To the ‘Ad people, We sent Hud, one of their brothers. He said, "O my people, worship God, you have no other god but Him. Will you not realize this?”

The leaders of the unbelievers among his people said, “We see you are an imbecile,” and “We think you are a liar.”

He said, “O my people, I am no imbecile, but I am a messenger from the Guardian Evolver of all the systems of knowledge

“I fulfill towards you the duties of my Lord’s mission. I am to you a sincere and trustworthy adviser

“Do you wonder how there has come to you a message from your Lord through a person of your own people, to warn you? Call to mind that He made you inheritors after the people of Noah, and gave you great stature among the nations. Call to mind the benefits from God, that you may flourish.”

They said, “Do you come to us so that we may worship God alone, and give up the worship of our ancestors? Bring us what you threaten us with, if you tell the truth.”

He said, “Punishment upon punishment has already come upon you from your Lord. Do you dispute with me over names which you have devised, you and your ancestors, without authority from God. But wait, I am among you also waiting.”

We saved him and those who adhered with him, by Our mercy, and We cut off the roots of those who rejected Our signs and who did not believe

To the Thamud people We sent Salih, one of their own brothers. He said, “O my people, worship God, you have no other god but Him. And now there has come to you guidance from your Lord. This she-camel of God is a sign to you. So leave it to graze in God's earth, and let no harm come to it, or you will be seized with a terrible punishment

“And remember how He made you inheritors after the ‘Ad people, and gave you houses in the land. You build for yourselves palaces and castles in open plains, and carve out homes in the mountains. So bring to remembrance the good from God, and refrain from harm and crime on the earth.”

The leaders of the arrogant group among his people said to those who were considered powerless, them among those who believed, “Are you sure that Salih is a messenger from his Lord?” They said, “We surely believe in the revelation that has been sent through him.”

The arrogant party said, “For our part, we reject what you believe.”

Then they hamstrung the she-camel, and insolently defied the order of their Lord saying, “O Salih, bring about your threats, if you are a messenger.”

So the earthquake took them unaware, and they lay prostrate in their homes

So Salih turned away from them saying, “O my people, I did indeed convey to you the message for which I was sent by my Lord. I gave you good counsel, but you love not good counselors.”

We also sent Lot. He said to his people, “Do you commit lewdness such as no people in creation committed before you

“For you practice your passions on men in preference to women. You are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.”

And his people gave no answer but this, “Drive them out of your city. These are indeed people who want to be clean and refined.”

But we saved him and his family, except his wife, she was of those who lagged behind

And we showered down on them rain. Then do you see what the end of those who indulged in harmful deeds and crime was

To the Madyan people We sent Shu’aib, one of their own brothers. He said, “O my people, worship God, you have no other god but Him. Now there has come to you guidance from your Lord, so give just measure and weight, and do not withhold from the people the things due to them. And create no chaos on the earth after it has been set in order. That will be best for you, if you have faith

“And squat not on every road, breathing threats, hindering from the path of God, those who believe in Him, and seeking on it something wrong. But remember how you were small, and He gave you increase. And hold in your mind’s eye what the end of those who do wrong is

“And if there is a group among you who believes in the message with which I have been sent, and a group which does not believe, hold yourselves in patience until God decides between us, for He is the best to decide. 87 (End of Part)

The leaders of the arrogant group among his people said, “O Shu’aib, we will certainly push you out of our city, you and those who believe with you, or else you and they will have to return to our way.” He said, “What, even though we detest it

The unbelieving leaders among his people said, “If you follow Shu’aib, be sure that you will be ruined.”

But the earthquake took them unaware, and they lay prostrate in their homes

The people who rejected Shu’aib were as if they had never been in the homes where they had prospered. The people who rejected Shu’aib were ruined

So Shu’aib left them saying, “O my people, I indeed conveyed to you the messages for which I was sent by my Guardian Evolver. I gave you good advice, but how can I grieve over a people who refuse to believe.”

Whenever We sent a messenger to a place, We raised up its people in suffering and adversity, in order that they might learn humility

Then We changed their suffering into prosperity, until they grew and multiplied, and began to say, “Our parents too were touched by adversity and prosperity.” Behold, We called them to account all of a sudden, while they realized it not

If the people of the towns had only believed and had been conscious of God, We would indeed have opened up to them blessings from heaven and earth, but they rejected it, and We brought them to account for their misdeeds

Did the people of the towns feel secure against the coming of Our punishment by night while they slept

Or did they feel secure against its coming in broad daylight while they played

Did they then feel immune concerning the plan of God? No one feels immune concerning the plan of God except those bound for failure

To those who inherit the earth in succession to its previous possessors, is it not a guiding lesson for them that if We so willed, We could punish them for their sins, and seal up their hearts so that they could not hear

These were the towns whose story We relate to you. Indeed there came to them their messengers with guidance, but they would not believe what they had before rejected. This is how God seals up the hearts of those who do not believe

We did not find most of them true to their covenant, but most of them We found rebellious

Then after them We sent Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his leaders, but they wrongfully rejected them. So take notice of the end of those who do wrong

Moses said, “O Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the worlds

One who it is right to say nothing but truth concerning God. Now I have come to you from your Guardian Evolver with guidance. So let the Children of Israel exit along with me.”

Pharaoh said, “If indeed you have come with a sign, show it if you tell the truth.”

Then Moses threw his staff, and behold, it was a serpent, plain for all to see

And he pulled out his hand, and behold, it looked white to all beholders

Said the nomarchs of the people of Pharaoh, “This is indeed an illusionist well-versed

“His plan is to get you out of your land. So what is it you advise?”

They said, “Keep him and his brother in suspense, and send to the cities, people to collect

And bring up to you all illusionists well-versed.”

So the illusionists came to Pharaoh. They said, “Of course we will have a reward if we win?”

He said, “Yes, for you will, in that case, be nearest to me.”

They said, “O Moses, will you throw first, or shall we throw?”

Said Moses, “You throw.” When they threw, they tricked the eyes of people, and struck fear into them, for they showed great illusions

We put into Moses’ mind by inspiration, “Throw your staff.” And behold, it instantly made all the illusions that they faked disappear

So truth was confirmed, and all that they did was made of no effect

So they were thoroughly defeated there and then, crushed

But the illusionists fell down prostrate in adoration

Saying, “We believe in the Lord of all the worlds

“The Lord of Moses and Aaron.”

Pharaoh said, “Believe in Him before I give you permission? Surely this is a scheme plotted in the city to drive out its people, and soon will you come to know

“Be sure that I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will cause you all to die on the cross.”

They said, “We will be sent back to our Guardian Evolver

“You wreak your vengeance on us simply because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they reached us”. “Our Lord, pour out on us patience and constancy, and take our souls to you in peace.”

Said the nomarchs of Pharaoh’s people, “Will you leave Moses and his people to spread sedition in the land, and to abandon you and your gods?” He said, “Their male children we will slay, and their females will we let live, and we have power over them, irresistible.”

Moses said to his people, “Pray for help from God, and patiently persevere, for the earth is God's to give as an inheritance to those of His servants He pleases, and the end is for the righteous

They said, “We have had troubles, both before and after you came to us.” He said, “It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you inheritors in the earth, so He may try you by your deeds.”

We punished the people of Pharaoh with years of drought and shortness of crops, that they might take the advice

But when good times came they said, “This is due to us,” When gripped by calamity, they ascribed it to evil omens connected with Moses and those with him. Behold, in truth, the omens of evil are theirs in God's sight, but most of them do not understand

They said, “No matter the signs you bring along with that which you use to deceive us, we will never believe in you

So We sent on them the flood, locusts, lice, frogs, and the blood. Signs openly self-explained, but they were steeped in arrogance, a people given to harmful deeds

Every time the penalty fell on them they said, “O Moses, call on your Lord on our behalf, calling on his promise to you. If you will remove the penalty from us, we will truly believe in you, and we will send away the Children of Israel with you.”

But every time We removed the penalty from them according to a fixed term which they had to fulfill, behold, they broke their promise

So We took retribution from them and We drowned them in the sea, because they rejected Our signs and failed to take warning from them

And We made a people considered weak, inheritors of lands in both East and West, lands where We sent down Our blessings. The promise of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy. And We destroyed what they designed and what Pharaoh and his people constructed

We took the Children of Israel across the sea. They came upon a people devoted entirely to the idols they had. They said, “O Moses, create for us a god like the gods they have.” He said, “Surely you are a people without knowledge

“As for these, the cult they are in is a piece of a ruin, and vain is that which they practice.”

He said, “Should I seek for you a god other than God, when it is God Who has endowed you with gifts above the nations?”

And remember We rescued you from Pharaoh’s people, who afflicted you with the worst of penalties, who slew your sons and kept alive your females. In that was a momentous trial from your Lord

We appointed for Moses thirty nights, and completed the period with ten more. So was completed the term with his Lord, forty nights, and Moses had charged his brother Aaron, “Represent me among my people, do right, and do not follow the way of those who do wrong.”

When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Guardian Evolver addressed him, then he said, “O my Lord, show Yourself to me that I may look upon you.” God said, “By no means can you see Me, but look upon the mountain, if it remains in its place, then will you see Me.” When his Lord manifested His glory on the mountain, He made it as particles, and Moses fainted. When he returned to consciousness he said, “Glory be to You, to You do I turn, and I am the first to believe.”

God said, “O Moses, I have chosen you above others, by the mission I have given you and the words I have spoken to you. So take that which I give you, and be of those who give thanks.”

And We ordained the Commandments for him in the Tablets concerning all matters, both commanding and explaining all things, and he said, “Take and hold these with firmness, and encourage your people to hold fast by the best practices. Soon I will show you the homes of the wicked.”

Those who behave arrogantly on the earth in defiance of right, I will turn them away from My signs. Even if they see all the signs, they will not believe in them, and if they see the right way of conduct, they will not accept it as the way, but if they see the way of error, that is the way they will accept, for they have rejected our signs, and failed to take warning from them

Those who reject Our signs and the meeting in the hereafter, in vain are their deeds. Can they expect to be punished for anything except for what they have done

The people of Moses made out of their ornaments, in his absence, the image of a calf. It was low. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them, nor show them the way? They took it for worship and they did wrong

When they repented, and saw that they had erred, they said, “If our Lord does not have mercy upon us and does not forgive us, we will indeed be of those who perish.”

When Moses came back to his people displeased and grieved he said, “You have done wrong in my absence. Did you want to induce the judgment of your Lord?” He put down the tablets, seized his brother by his hair, and dragged him to himself. Aaron said, “Son of my mother, the people indeed saw me as nothing, and nearly murdered me. Do not allow the enemies to rejoice over my misfortune, nor count me among the people of sin.”

Moses prayed, “O my Lord, forgive my brother and me, admit us to Your mercy, for You are more mercifully redeeming than all of those who show mercy.”

Those who took the calf will indeed be overwhelmed with punishment from their Lord, and with shame in this life. This is how We reward those who deceive

But those who do wrong, but repent and believe, indeed your Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Mercifully Redeeming

When the displeasure of Moses subsided, he picked up the tablets. In the writing was guidance and mercy for those who are aware of their Guardian Evolver

And Moses chose seventy of his people for Our meeting place. When they were seized with violent quaking he prayed, “O my Lord, if it had been Your will, You could have caused to perish, long before, both them and me. Would You destroy us all for the deeds of the foolish ones among us? This is no more than Your trial. By it, You cause whom You will to stray, and You lead whom You will onto the right path. You are our Protector, so forgive us and give us Your mercy, for You are the best of those who forgive

“And ordain for us that which is good, in this life and in the hereafter, for we have turned to You.” He said, “With My punishment I visit whom I will, but My mercy extends to all things, and I will ordain My mercy for those who do right, and give zakat, and those who believe in Our signs

“Those who follow the messenger, the prophet of mother wit, who they find mentioned in their own scriptures, in the Torah and the gospel. For he commands them what is just and forbids them what is unjust, he encourages for them as permissible that which is good, and prohibits them from what is harmful. He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the chains that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honor him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down to him, it is these who will flourish.”

Say, “O humanity, I am sent to you all as the messenger of God, to Whom belongs the control of the heavens and the earth. There is no god but He. It is He Who gives both life and death. So believe in God and His messenger, the prophet of mother wit, who believes in God and His words. Follow him that you may be guided.”

Of the people of Moses, a group of them guides and does justice in the light of truth

We divided them into twelve peoples. We directed Moses by inspiration, when his people asked him for water We said, “Split the rock with your staff.” Out of it, gushed forth twelve springs. Each group knew its place for water. We gave them the shade of clouds, and sent down to them manna and quails saying, “Eat of the good things We have provided for you.” Then to Us they did no harm, but they harmed their own selves

And remember it was said to them, “Dwell in this town and eat as you wish, but say a word of humility, and enter the gate in a posture of humility. We will forgive you your faults, and We will increase those who do right.”

But the transgressors among them changed the words from that which had been given them, so we sent on them a plague from heaven, because they repeatedly transgressed

Ask them concerning the town standing close by the sea. Behold, they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath, for on the day of their Sabbath, the fish came to them openly, holding up their heads. But on the day they had no Sabbath, they did not come. We made a trial of them, for they were given to transgression

When some of them said, “Why do you advise a people who God will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?” The advisers said, “To be absolved, fulfill your duty to your Lord, that they may be conscious.”

When they disregarded the warnings that had been given them, We then rescued those who made wrongdoing forbidden, but We visited the wrongdoers with a terrible punishment, because they were given to transgression

When, in their insolence, they transgressed prohibitions We said to them, “Be apes, despised and rejected.”

Behold, your Lord declared that He would send against them, until the Day of Accountability, those who would afflict them with a terrible penalty. Your Lord is quick in retribution, but He is also Oft-Forgiving, Mercifully Redeeming

We separated them into groups on this earth. There are among them some who are righteous, and some who are not. We have tried them with both prosperity and adversity, in order that they might change

After them succeeded another generation. They inherited the Book, but they chose the vanities of the present saying, “For us, everything will be forgiven.” If similar vanities came their way, they would again seize them. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from those who would not ascribe to God anything but the truth? And they study what is in the Book. But best for the righteous is the home in the hereafter. Will you not then understand

As for those who hold fast by the Book and establish prayer, never will We cause the reward of the righteous to perish

When We shook the Mount over them, as if it had been a canopy, and they thought it was going to fall on them We said, “Hold firmly to what We have given you, and bring to remembrance what is in there, so perhaps you may be conscious.”

When your Lord brought out from the children of Adam, from their loins, their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves saying, “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we do testify.” Lest you should say on the Day of Accountability, “Of this we were never mindful.”

Or lest you should say, “Our parents before us may have taken false gods, but we are their descendants. Will You then destroy us because of the deeds of people who were irresponsible?”

We explain the signs in detail that perhaps they may repent

Relate to them the story of the person to whom We sent Our signs, but he passed them by, so Satan followed him up, and he went astray

If it had been Our will, We would have elevated him with Our signs, but he inclined to the earth, and followed his own vain desires. His similitude is that of a dog. If you pet it, it lolls out its tongue, or if you ignore it, it still lolls out its tongue. That is the similitude of those who reject Our signs. So relate the story, perhaps they may reflect

Terrible for a similitude are the people who reject Our signs and wrong their own souls

Whom God guides, he is on the right path. Whom He rejects from His guidance, such people will perish

Many are the jinn and humans We have made for hell. They have hearts with which they feel not, eyes with which they see not, and ears with which they hear not. They are like cows, no, more apathetic, and they are heedless

The most beautiful names belong to God, so call on Him by them, and caution people who use profanity in His names, and that for what they do, they will soon be rewarded

Of those We have created, are those who direct with truth and dispense justice

Those who reject Our signs, We will gradually visit with punishment, in ways they cannot imagine

Respite will I grant to them, for My plan is strong and unfailing

Do they not reflect? Their companion is not seized with madness, he is only a clear warner

Do they see nothing in the systems of the heavens and the earth, and all that God has created? Do they not see that it may well be that their term is near and ending? In what message after this will they then believe

Those who God rejects from His guidance, there can be no guide. He will leave them in their trespasses, wandering in distraction

They ask you about the Hour, when will be its appointed time? Say, “The knowledge of it is with my Lord. None but He can reveal as to when it will occur. Heavy will be its burden through the heavens and the earth. All of a sudden it will come to you.” They ask you as if you were eager in search of it. Say, “The knowledge of it is with God." But most understand not

Say, “I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as God wills. If I had knowledge of the unknown, I would have multiplied all good, and no harm would have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of good news to those who have faith.”

It is He Who created you from a single person, and made her mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her in love. When they are united, she bears a light burden and carries it about. When she grows heavy, they both pray to God their Lord saying, “If You give us an excellent child, we promise to be grateful.”

But when He gives them an excellent child, they ascribe to others a share in the gift they have received, but God is exalted high above the partners they ascribe to Him

Do they indeed ascribe to Him as partners, things that can create nothing but are themselves created

No aid can they give them, nor can they aid themselves

If you call them to guidance, they will not follow. For you it is the same whether you call them or you hold your peace

Indeed, those whom you call upon besides God are servants like you. Call upon them and let them respond to your prayer, if you are truthful

Have they feet with which to walk? Or hands with which to touch? Or eyes with which to see? Or ears with which to hear? Say, “Call your ‘god-partners’, scheme against me, and give me no respite

“For my protector is God, Who revealed the Book, and He will choose and befriend the righteous

“But those you call upon besides Him, are unable to help you, and indeed unable to help themselves.”

If you call them for guidance, they hear not. You will see them looking at you, but they see not

Hold to forgiveness, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant

If a suggestion from Satan assails you, seek refuge with God, for He hears and knows all things

Indeed those who are conscious, when a thought of wrongdoing from Satan assaults them they bring God to remembrance until they see

But their brothers, the wrong-doers, plunge them ever deeper into error, and never relax their efforts

If you do not bring them a revelation they say, “Why do you not have it all together?” Say, “I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This is enlightenment from your Lord, and guidance, and mercy, for any who have faith.”

When the Quran is read, listen to it with attention, and hold your peace, that you may receive mercy

And do you, O reader, bring your Lord to remembrance in your very soul, with humility and in reverence, without audible words, in the mornings and evenings, and be not of those who are unheedful

Those who are near to your Lord, do not dislike worshipping Him. They praise Him, and bow down before Him